C-5 Galaxy from Westover Air Reserve Base refuels over New England [photos, video]

A C-5 Galaxy from Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicoopee, the largest aircraft in the U.S. Air Force, hooked up with a KC-135 Stratotanker from the Maine Air National Guard for a refueling mission over New England on Thursday.

The training flight allowed pilots from Westover to practice lining up with a KC-135 tanker aircraft from Bangor, Maine. Pilots from both aircraft practiced flying within 25 to 30 feet of each other to line up their equipment to get fuel from the C-135 tanker into the C-5.

Depending on the load, a C-5 Galaxy can fly 14 hours in the air on a normal tank of gas. The actual transfer in Thursday's mid-air refueling mission lasted only minutes during the two-hour flight and consisted of about 800 gallons of fuel.

According to the Westover Air Reserve Base website:

Westover ARB is the nation's largest Air Force Reserve base, and is home to the Air Force's largest cargo aircraft, the C-5 Galaxy. More than 5,500 military and civilian workers are assigned to Westover's 439th Airlift Wing, a unit of the Air Force Reserve Command.

The 101st Air Refueling Wing, known at the "MAINEiacs," is based at the Maine Air National Guard base at Bangor Interational Airport. The 101st's website lists this mission statement:

Deploy and employ air refueling, airlift, aerospace expeditionary forces and expeditionary combat support forces to ongoing military operations worldwide. Provide air refueling to United States Strategic Command to support Global Strike Operational Plan taskings. The Northeast Tanker Task Force plans and executes the air refueling portion of fighter and cargo aircraft movements to and from Europe and Southwest Asia. Ground support services contribute to aircraft movement velocity objectives of the Department of Defense and US Allies. Provide logistical and support services to the community and State of Maine in the event of natural disasters or as directed by the Governor.